Business Development Representative
Job description
Senior About the role
This position owns the top of the funnel for a voice AI platform. The role operates with high autonomy inside a small, fast-moving team.
Sales roles connect a company's product with the customers who need it. Representatives research accounts, run demos, handle objections, and close deals. The work is quota driven and moves quickly. Strong sellers combine listening skills with product knowledge and steady follow through. Sales roles reward consistent activity and honest qualification of deals. Most companies use a defined sales process, and reps are trained on it before being left on their own.
Key facts
What you'll do
Strategic accounts receive targeted outreach after deep research into their needs and context. Outcomes from these efforts are defined in collaboration with Sales and Marketing to align on priorities.
Personalized outreach through email, phone, social, and video bypasses standard filters by leveraging account-specific insights instead of generic templates. Technical decision-makers learn why AssemblyAI delivers stronger performance and a better developer experience than alternatives.
Qualified opportunities move cleanly to Account Executives, and consistent follow-up ensures deals progress smoothly. You will represent AssemblyAI at industry events and in voice AI communities to build awareness and generate interest.
Each experiment informs what works, and those results are shared with the team to improve overall effectiveness.
Requirements
BDR or SDR experience produces qualified pipeline through persistent cold outreach and structured follow-up. Comfort with technical topics such as APIs, model accuracy, and latency tradeoffs is necessary to discuss solutions credibly.
Creative persistence in outreach succeeds when standard channels do not yield responses, and you find alternative ways to reach prospects. Self-direction thrives when you own your results and operate with minimal process and clear ownership goals.
Strong CRM and prospecting-tool fluency in Salesforce and tools like Apollo, ZoomInfo, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator is required for accurate tracking and prioritization. Prior experience selling technical products to technical buyers in API, infrastructure, developer tools, or AI/ML is preferred for faster ramp-up.
A Bachelor's degree is required to ensure foundational preparation for understanding complex technical solutions.
Practical notes
AssemblyAI is a remote-first company, and the position remains eligible for the stated compensation range. Typical interview steps
Sales hiring often includes a role play, a discovery call simulation, and a presentation. Candidates may be asked to pitch a product to a panel or handle a tough objection. Behavioral questions focus on past quota attainment and deal history. Energy and preparation matter. Interviewers often simulate the job in the interview itself, so be ready to run a short discovery call or demo. Practicing your own sales pitch out loud helps.
Good to know
Voice AI models process millions of inferences and hours of audio while serving billions of end-user experiences. The company operates as a lean, capital-efficient team with high revenue per employee. Tools include speech-to-text, streaming speech-to-text, Speech Understanding, and an LLM Gateway. This role suits candidates who prefer fast-moving, ownership-driven environments without heavy bureaucracy.
Questions to ask
Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.
Career growth
Sales careers can move from SDR or associate to account executive, senior AE, manager, and director roles. Some sellers move into partnerships, account management, or revenue operations. Compensation typically mixes a base with commission tied to results. High performers in sales typically move into larger accounts, team leadership, or sales operations. Quota history and references carry the most weight in promotion.